It has been another busy week for me in North Cornwall out and about meeting constituents. I focused on Launceston, and I was very pleased to tell people about the new NHS dental clinic that has just been approved in the area, The new practice will be built just outside of Launceston in Sheers Barton and has my full support. Although it’s very early on in the process I will keep you updated as we progress. As many of you will know, the lack of available dentistry has been a historical issue for the whole of Cornwall and something which is a challenge to solve. In my experience, the NHS Dental contract brought in under the previous government has been the main issue brought to my attention by North Cornwall’s dentists, who struggled to deliver care for NHS patients due to its terms. Along with my Cornish MP colleagues, I have taken this up with the Secretary of State and senior advisors in the Department for Health and Social Care, and I am pleased that the contract has now been amended. This is a welcome initial step, but we need to go further to ensure that dentists who deliver NHS care have the best possible terms, whilst ensuring the Cornish taxpayer gets value for money.
My team introduced Gary Baker from Op Kernow the Cornwall Council cabinet member for economy this week to discuss veteran’s care. Op Kernow runs a service to support ex-forces personal living across Cornwall, but it is currently on a voluntary basis. My team and I fully support Gary and Op Kernow and will do all we can to ensure this vital organisation is able to access the funding that is available. There are considerable community funds open as part of the Government’s Levelling Up and Shared Prosperity Fund pots, and I’ll be supporting any bids which offer additional support for our veterans.
I had a brilliant visit to The Hugs Foundation this week. They have just been awarded a whopping £59,844 from the National Lottery! The funding will enable them to run a youth well-being project for a whole year and support 150 children, young people and their families while helping rescue animals. The funding also means they can employ another part-time Youth Well-Being Facilitator to meet the demand for their well-being sessions! If you are interested in the role, please email laura@hugsfoundation.org.uk for further details.
Finally, I am currently running a survey on my website to find out your views and priorities for North Cornwall. If you would like to take part, please visit https://www.scottmann.org.uk/tell-me-your-views. Paper copies of the survey can be made available on request by telephoning 01208 74337.
